Michelin-starred Chef Daniel Boulud announced the completion of the renovation and reimagination of Restaurant DANIEL, a revered New York City establishment. In addition to a redesigned interior, Chef Boulud has promoted Eddy Leroux, previously Chef de Cuisine at Restaurant DANIEL, to Executive Chef, and Shaun Velez, formerly Executive Pastry Chef at Café Boulud, to Executive Pastry Chef.
“Throughout the 28 years of Restaurant DANIEL, it has always been an honor to work alongside the most talented, passionate and creative executive chefs in the kitchen, as well as in pastry. Today, our newly appointed Executive Chefs, Eddy Leroux and Shaun Velez, are joining their talents to ensure that Restaurant DANIEL’s strong commitment to hospitality and culinary excellence stay creative, relevant, exciting, and delicious as it concludes its third decade in the New York City dining scene. The entire team at DANIEL and I are thrilled to start a new chapter after this very long year of challenges and pivotal changes. We are eager to present a fresh, delectable experience in our artistic setting and warm ambiance. Our New York finest hospitality is back, and so is DANIEL,” said Chef Daniel Boulud.
“We are all excited to reintroduce such a majestic and storied restaurant,” said Sebastien Silvestri, CEO of Boulud’s Dinex Group. “We have made a significant investment to elevate every inch of the interiors. The culinary team has gone to great lengths to refine the menu, ultimately creating a restaurant that is modern, relevant, inviting and unique. The all-new Restaurant DANIEL is a perfect example of how we’re meeting the moment, and pushing our teams to be creative and set new standards for ourselves and fine dining in New York City.”
Menu evolution
In collaboration with Chef Boulud, Chef Leroux and the culinary team continue to evolve and elevate the cuisine at Restaurant DANIEL. In keeping with the trademark of Chef Boulud, the new menu is rooted in French tradition, with modern refinements and innovations that make even the most classic dishes a revelation.
Newly-appointed Executive Chef Eddy Leroux has been at Restaurant DANIEL since 2004, first as Executive Sous Chef and then as Chef de Cuisine. “For more than 17 years, I have worked alongside Chef Daniel. It is a great honor to have the opportunity to be the Executive Chef of this iconic restaurant at such an exciting moment,” said Chef Eddy Leroux. “From years of working with Chef Daniel, I know well how he constantly gives his team both the opportunity and the challenge to raise the standards of excellence.”
Previously, Chef Leroux worked his way up in the kitchens of Paris’s Michelin 3-star restaurant, Lucas Carton. There, under Chef Alain Senderens, one of the founding fathers of la nouvelle cuisine, Leroux honed his technique and opened his palate to the array of luxurious ingredients at his fingertips. During his five-year tenure with Senderens, he also took a four-month assignment in Thailand, working as Chef de Cuisine of the renowned Le Normandie in the Oriental Hotel, Bangkok.
Born and raised in the Bronx, Pastry Chef Shaun Velez graduated from the French Culinary Institute, now known as the International Culinary Center, in 2008. Following his studies, he established his career in the award-winning kitchens of Chef Boulud’s Boulud Sud as well as Restaurant DANIEL, working closely with his mentor and James Beard Award-Winning Pastry Chef Ghaya Oliveira. In 2018, he was appointed the Executive Pastry Chef at Café Boulud. As Executive Pastry Chef of Restaurant DANIEL, Velez continues to hone his craft by employing innovative techniques to transform classic desserts into modern creations.
